Over 4 000 deaths caused by Ebola

A total of 8 399 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in seven affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the United States of America) up to the end of 8 October.

There have been 4 033 deaths since the disease broke out earlier this year.

Community engagement and activism are critical in Sierra Leone’s ongoing battle against the spread of Ebola, a United Nations official declared today, adding that only with the support of the local population could the country and the wider region of West Africa defeat the economic and health crises caused by the deadly virus.

Located in the heart of West Africa, Sierra Leone has found itself at the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak, registering nearly 1,000 deaths from the virus and 2,950 cases, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Along with the human health impact caused by disease, Ebola has also greatly threatened the local economies of the affected countries.

In Sierra Leone, for instance, one of the most visible consequences of the outbreak has been the closure of nearly all bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the nation’s capital.

As a result, the country’s largest brewery has scaled down operations, resulting in the termination of some 24,000 jobs within the supply chain – a small portion of the overall job losses expected due to the crisis.